


cliches & stereotypes

by panaesheim



Series: SKAM Week—May 18-24, 2020 [2]
Category: SKAM (Norway)
Genre: American Football, American high school, Bisexual Christoffer Schistad, Bisexual Eva Kviig Mohn, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Evak AU, Jock Even, Lesbian Noora Amalie Sætre, M/M, Nerd Isak, a little bit of chrisak
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:08:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24275605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panaesheim/pseuds/panaesheim
Summary: Even grinned and shook his head. “You’re living in a stereotype, Isak.”“What? I’m right, aren’t I?” Isak smiled.“No. I do like parties, but they can be boring. Especially when your friends are off making out with random people. My group does that a lot,” Even chuckled.“And you don’t like making out with people?” Isak raised his eyebrows.Even shrugged. “Only with people I really like.”
Relationships: Even Bech Næsheim/Isak Valtersen
Series: SKAM Week—May 18-24, 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1751116
Comments: 15
Kudos: 121





	cliches & stereotypes

**Author's Note:**

> this is my favorite one of the week so yeah :)  
> some things to keep in my mind  
> -this is in an american school setting so sorry if that bothers anyone  
> -eva, chris, jonas, and even are all in the same year (senior year/final year)  
> -noora, sana, and isak are all in the same year (junior year/second to last year)  
> -isak is more of a nerd than a geek so sorry about that too  
> -ummm i think that’s all to remember?  
> also ignore the timeline if it doesn’t make sense, i reread it to try and fix it because i changed the days a lot while i was drafting this so i hope it makes sense but if it doesn’t ignore it :)  
> ignore any spelling or capitalization errors and enjoy :)

Isak Valtersen was probably the smartest kid in the entire graduation class. And this wasn’t an exaggeration; he had nearly perfect scores on his SATs, had been resting at the top three of his class ever since freshmen year, and was on the road to valedictorian. Closely followed him was Noora Sætre, who was on the track to salutatorian, much to her dismay. 

Even Bech Næsheim, on the other hand, was the far opposite. He was the star quarterback on the football team, yes. He did have a few scholarships headed his way because of it, yes. But he maintained straight C’s and was barely even on time for classes, much less did he ever put in any effort. He had gotten by, though, thanks to his older friends who sometimes did his homework and assignments for him in exchange for dates with specific people—he was the most popular guy in the school, he could get anyone he wanted. Quite literally, actually. 

It was a typical high school with typical stereotypes and cliques: the theater kids, the nerds, the jocks and cheerleaders, the outcasts, the emos, and the geeks, which is the category Isak fell into. 

How did Even know this? He’s been sort of keeping track of Isak since he first transferred in his sophomore year. Isak was a wide-eyed, innocent freshman, excited for the new challenges to come his way. He had joined many clubs when he first arrived, particularly the clubs that had to with something related to science, Even had noticed. Even had wanted to ruin that innocence in more than one way, but when his friends got to him first, he shrugged them off like they were nothing. He stood up to them, insulting them for the abuse of their popularity status. So Even hung back, never crossing his path. Because he was sure there was a tiny little snake or demon inside of that adorable, petite, hot exterior. 

Even was tapping his pencil against his desk when the bell rung, signaling the beginning of lunch. People were already packing their things and talking even as the teacher still tried to give instructions for their after school assignments. 

Even was almost out of the door, talking to his friend Chris, but the teacher said his name. “Mr. Næsheim, can I see you for a second?”

Chris whispered, “What did you do now?” and Even just rolled his eyes. He waved him off and walked back over to the teacher’s desk. 

“Yes?” He tried to say in a polite manner, but it came off as annoyed more than anything. 

“I can’t stand by again like last time,” she slid a paper over to where he could see it. A red circled ‘F’ was at the top of it, and below it were questions with red marks running through them. “What is the problem here?”

“I just didn’t understand the material,” he pried his eyes away from the daunting red F, “that’s all this is.”

“We both know that’s not what this is,” she reached in her desk drawer and rifled through some folders. She pulled out an almost identical paper, except it had a D+ on it instead of an F. 

Even grinned. “Hey, it’s progress.”

“It’s actually not. This one,” she waved the paper in her hand, “was taken by you a couple weeks ago. The other one was from Friday.” 

Even shrugged. “I’ll do better next time, I promise.”

“That’s what you’ve said all year. And the year before that. How can I trust that you’ll  _really_ do better next time?”

“You have to trust me.”

“I don’t think so, because I talked to the coach and he said another grade like this,” she tapped on the paper with the F, “could lead to you getting kicked off the team.”

Even’s jaw dropped. “There is no way a couple of F’s could risk something like that. Are you sure?”

“Positive.“ She leaned on the desk with her elbows, her eyes softening and looking into his. “Is everything okay at home?” 

She whispered it like his entire being would shatter if she spoke any louder. He fought back the urge to roll his eyes, and instead said, “Just tell me what I have to do to improve my grades. I’ll do extra credit, stay late, whatever.”

“There’s always the tutoring program that our school offers,” she suggested, returning to her normal volume. “It’s run by some of our student council. They stay after school in the library from 15:00 to 18:00 on Tuesdays through Fridays, if you are interested.”

“I don’t need a tutor.”

She raised her eyebrows and looked at him, saying “seriously?” with her eyes. “Just try it out. It’s not a commitment thing, so if you don’t like it after today’s session, then you don’t have to go back. Okay? Can you do that for me?”

Even sighed. Did he even really have a choice at this point? Scholarships and future opportunities were hanging in the balance because of this. 

“Fine.”

— — — 

“Tutoring?” Chris laughed. “You have to be tutored, Even?”

“Shut up,” Even said, grabbing a chip from the bag. “It’s not like I have a choice. My entire future relies on this.”

“There’s nothing wrong with tutoring, Chris,” Eva said, looking down at him from where she was on the table. “I did it, now look at me! I could be as smart as... what’s his name? Something with an ‘I’...”

“It’s Isak,” Chris filled in the blank.

“Speaking of which,” Chris turned to Even, “I think I’m making progress with him. Today he only rolled his eyes  once . Once! That’s gotta mean something, right?” 

Eva rolled her eyes. “Oh, Chris...”

“You’re just jealous that I’m focusing more on him than you nowadays,” Chris smirked. 

“Ah, yes, I am so jealous. My boyfriend beat you up, you can shut up now.”

Chris shrunk back in his seat. “Whatever, the point is I think I’m going to ask him to the game next Friday.”

“He’s going to say no,” Even said. “When has he ever said yes to any of your offers?”

“But I feel that something has changed. Maybe he finally realized what a catch I am,” Chris smirked while the other two simultaneously rolled their eyes. “What?”

“He’s not going to go out with you, just face it,” Even said, “have you ever seen him with another guy? Ever? He might not even be gay.”

“He is, though,” Eva commented, “Jonas used to know him back in middle school. He said Isak used to have a crush on him. I didn’t actually know it was that Isak until this year.”

“See? He’s gay, but he apparently doesn’t have taste,” Chris crossed his arms over his chest. “He’ll be in my bed in no time, though, trust me.”

“Yeah. Okay.”

— — — 

Isak Valtersen was most definitely the smartest kid in the entire graduation class, but he never felt it. He has always felt... average. 

Ever since he was a child, he had always thought it was normal to have straight A’s on every single report card. That it was normal to go to several ceremonies each year, district staff and superintendents honoring your academic success. Normal to have colleges breathing down your neck, watching your every movement. He’s always had a passion for science and everything to do with it, that’s all. Never anything special. 

He didn’t realize he was a bit above average until about eighth grade when all of his friends started to be separated from him. He was placed in the advanced and honors classes while his friends had to stick to the regular, average classes. 

It wasn’t that he wasn’t grateful; not only was he handed academic opportunities on a silver platter from everyone he met, he got to meet some people who were as smart as him. Noora and Sana were slowly becoming his best friends, since they were the people he hung out with the most. It’s hard to ignore people who have been in your classes every year since middle school. 

For the longest time, though, all the way up until his freshman year in high school, he hid the fact that he was gay. Something about his secret being out in the open for everyone, schools, peers, teachers, universities, always scared him. Like if someone found out he liked boys, all of his success and hard work would crumble before him, leaving him with a mess of dust, debris, and failure. 

But when his freshman year came around, he said fuck it, and started wearing pink puffy sweaters and replaced his contacts for nice circle-frame glasses he had picked out. Noora helped him with his shopping between his eighth and ninth grade summer. She was more than happy to help, letting him wander freely in the women’s department in the mall. 

When he did this, he got much more attention from popular guys. They would come up to him and deliver cheesy pick up lines, and at first he batted his eyelashes at them and teased them with “maybe”’s and “I don’t know”’s, but after his first month, he got annoyed. He snapped at any guy that approached his locker, insulting their ego and hoping it would deflate by the time they got back to school the next day. 

He started the tutoring club with Noora and Sana since they were part of the student council. By then, his true, geeky and nerdy nature had popped out and all the guys backed away, afraid to be associated with him. Isak didn’t mind; he liked it better when he was with his girls.

There was one guy, in particular, that he kept his eyes on. His name was Even, but other than that, he didn’t know much about him. For starters, he was a senior currently while Isak was still a junior, so they didn’t have any classes together. He had seen him at football games when Noora begged him to go with her (something about a specific cheerleader, he wasn’t sure) and sometimes at lunch, but that was it. 

Isak wasn’t developing feelings for him or anything, because how could he crush on someone he barely knew? So he watched from afar, admired his good looks and the way he carried himself, like he knew he was that hot. And Isak had noticed Even staring at him, too, but he passed it off as just a few coincidences. He didn’t want to get his hopes up. 

So, as of right now, at about 15:38, Sana and Noora were busy helping out struggling freshmen with their work. He sat and did his own math homework, the formulas getting stuck in his brain and mixing together. 

“Halla,” a voice said. 

He looked up to see Even standing there, his backpack slung over his shoulder and a nervous look on his face. It was either nervous or annoyed. Probably both. 

“Hi,” Isak breathed out.

“I’m here for the, uh...” Even snapped his fingers, trying to remember. He couldn’t remove his eyes from Isak’s. “The tutoring thing.”

“Oh, yeah, sure, have a seat,” Isak gestured to the seat next to him. He pushed his textbooks and laptop to the side. 

“You’re Isak, right?” Even said, sitting down and putting his bag in the chair next to him. 

“Yeah. And you’re...?”

“Even.”

Isak nodded even though he already knew that. Even looked around the room, seeing it mostly empty. There were rooms to the side that had Sana and Noora in private with their normal “clients.”

“Okay, so, what do you need help with?” Isak laid his hands on the table and looked at Even. 

“English is the worst of all of my classes,” Even sighed. “I haven’t done too well in the past couple of months.”

“English?” Isak laughed softly. “That’s one of my easiest classes.”

Even looked at him, raising his eyebrows and definitely not amused. Isak cleared his throat. “For me, really. It might be a struggle to others. But English isn’t really my expertise, so just know that I do better tutoring when it comes to science and math, not really history or languages.”

“That’s fine, just help me. I promise I’ll be out of your hair by next week hopefully.” Even smiled. 

“Okay, so where do you want to start? What are you learning right now in your class?”

“Uh, Shakespeare stuff. Romeo and Juliet, I think. But I think I’ve got that under control,“ Even shrugged. He pulled out his textbook and opened it up to the playwright. 

“Romeo and Juliet? I read that back in ninth grade, how are you only getting to that now?” Even looked at him again, “Sorry. I’ll stop now.” He sighed. “But how are you so sure you’ve got it under control? You must be in tutoring for some reason, right?” Isak asked. 

“I’m only here because my English teacher told me to come here. My grades haven’t been doing so great so she suggested tutoring.” Even confessed. “But I’ve seen the movie dozens of times, so yeah, I think I’ve got it under control.”

“But the movie—I’m assuming you’re talking about the 1996 remake—doesn’t really represent the actual playwright. It is the direct script, yes, but tests like these will ask you about Shakespeare’s writing techniques and literary devices, not just character and plot evaluations. You can’t get by with just knowledge from the movie. When is your test?”

It took Even a few seconds to register what he said, because he was really only focused on his emerald eyes behind his circle-framed glasses. His lips were glossy; before he spoke, his tongue darted out to wet his lips. His hair looked so soft, the blonde curls shining under the fluorescent light of the library. 

“Even?” Isak snapped his fingers in front of his face. “Did you hear me?”

Even shook his head, looking down at the table, his face flushing. “Like in two weeks. Maybe sooner.”

Isak smirked at the senior’s embarrassment. “Okay, how much have you read so far in your class?”

“Just like the first chapter.”

“Chapter or scene?” Isak smiled. “Or act?”

“The bigger one.” When Even noticed the other’s obvious amusement, he couldn’t help but smile too. “I’m not completely hopeless, am I?”

“Eh,” Isak pulled the textbook closer to him. “You have potential.”

Even scoffed and Isak giggled. Before they could even get started, Noora and Sana walked up to Isak, chatting and oblivious to Even’s presence until they fully approached. 

“Isak?” Sana said, grabbing the two boys’ attention. “Who is this?”

“Oh, right, this is Even,” Isak introduced him. Even waved. “Even, this is Noora and Sana.” He pointed at the girls respectively. 

Noora didn’t remove her eyes from Even when she spoke. “Isak, can we talk to you for a second?”

“Yeah, sure,” Isak excused himself from Even. 

Once they were in one of the empty rooms, Sana closed the door. “What is a senior doing here? Specifically that senior?”

“Why does it matter? What’s wrong with Even?” Isak asked defensively. 

Sana glared at him. “Don’t you like him or something?”

Isak felt his ears start to turn red. “What?”

“She’s right,” Noora butted in, “you did talk about him a lot when we first came here.”

“Yeah, but that was a long time ago. I’m over it now. And it wasn’t even a crush, it was just... admiration from afar.”

“Admiration? Last I checked, admiration didn’t mean drooling over him,” Noora laughed. 

“I was not!” Isak defended himself. It was no use, though; both Sana and Noora were smirking at him. “Besides, it’s not like I would ever ‘make a move’ on him anyways. I am way too awkward for that.” 

Isak turned to peer out of the window on the door. Even was biting on the end of his pencil, clearly confused even from where Isak was standing. Isak tried to hide his smile. “He’s helpless. There’s no way there’s any major, sexual reason for him being here.”

“How can you be so sure?” 

“He told me that his English teacher sent him here,” he turned back to the girls, “I don’t think he’d come here voluntarily.”

“Fine, but when he tries to make a move on you, don’t come crawling back to us,” Noora put her hands up in the air like she was surrendering. Isak pursed his lips and rolled his eyes. 

They exited the small room and Isak walked back over to the table where Even sat, still confused. 

“Okay, where were we?”

— — —

“Fuck, Even!”

Chris slammed his hands on the lunch table, looking at his friend in disbelief. “You’re stealing the guy I want so badly?”

“I’m not stealing anyone,” Even shrugged, “it just so happens that Isak is now my tutor.”

“Bullshit!” Chris accused. “You have to have requested him or something.”

“No, I walked in and he was the only one there, I swear,” Even said. “Besides, he’s not yours to steal. He doesn’t even talk to you, much less like you.”

“Speaking of which,” Eva chipped in, “How’s it going with that guy, Chris? Wooed him yet?”

She was trying to mock him, but Chris grinned anyway. “I feel like I’m making progress. When I asked him to the game he didn’t say no.”

“Did he say yes?”

“No, but I mean, if he didn’t say no that means it’s a yes, right?” Chris looked over at Even, who was shaking his head. 

“That mentality isn’t going to do you any good in the future, Chris,” Even pointed out. “But no, that doesn’t mean he said yes. What did he say exactly?”

“Um, he asked something but I didn’t hear, so I asked him to repeat it and he said never mind and left.”

“He probably mumbled ‘no’ and left. You’re overthinking it.” Chris rolled his eyes at Eva’s statement. 

He instead turned to Even. “When do you see him next?”

“Later today, why?” Even looked at his friend quizzically. 

“Can you put in a good word for me? Please?” Chris looked up at him with pleading eyes. 

Even stared at him and then sighed. “Fine. I will. But I can’t promise his reaction. Also, not today either. I met the guy yesterday. I can’t go setting him up with someone random.”

“As long as you promise you’ll do it, then I’m fine.”

“Okay, I promise.”

— — —

Even broke that promise the next day. 

It’s not that he forgot, it’s just that he felt awkward doing it. He and Isak were getting along well so far, studying and joking around a bit. There were frustrating times, yes, when Even couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of some of Shakespeare’s vocabulary, but overall, they were enjoying the three hour sessions they were having. 

It was about ten minutes before 18:00 on that Friday when Isak noticed the time.

“Oh, shit,” he started to gather the books spread on the table, “I’m sorry I kept you a little late. Usually me and the girls are out of here by 17:30.”

“No, that’s fine,” Even sat there and watched Isak scramble around, stuffing books into his bag. Even was tapping his pencil against his notebook when he said, “We can stay later, if you have nothing to do.”

Isak looked at him in surprise, which quickly turned into confusion. “Huh?”

“If you don’t have anything to do, we can stay here and study more. Again, totally up to you,” Even repeated himself. 

Isak’s eyes were wide in shock. “I- Well, if it’s okay with you.”

“Yeah, of course.” Isak sat back down in the chair, still looking at Even weirdly. “What?”

“Nothing, it’s just that...” Isak trailed off. “Like, you’re a popular guy. It’s a Friday night. I didn’t think guys like you spent time in school libraries studying on Friday nights.”

“Parties usually start later, Isak, not,” he paused to check his phone, “17:51.”

“Still.”

Even grinned and shook his head. “You’re living in a stereotype, Isak.”

“What? I’m right, aren’t I?” Isak smiled. 

“No. I do like parties, but they can be boring. Especially when your friends are off making out with random people. My group does that a lot,” Even chuckled. 

“And you don’t like making out with people?” Isak raised his eyebrows. 

Even shrugged. “Only with people I really like.”

Isak hummed and that was where the conversation ended. They continued with their study, although a tension had settled between them that neither of them could pinpoint. There were moments when they both remained silent and they got lost in their thoughts, struggling to figure out what had happened that changed the atmosphere. 

Isak was in the middle of explaining a monologue in the text when Even felt his phone buzz. He lifted it to see several text messages from Chris. 

_chris: are you coming??_

_chris: dude_

_chris: there’s going to be a lot of chicks here i can’t get them without my wingman_

_chris: fine i’ll do it without you_

“Who’s that?” Isak asked. 

“Hm?” He looked up from his screen to see Isak’s expecting face. “Oh, just my mom. Checking in.”

“Do you need to get home or something?” 

“Huh? Oh, no, she’s just reminding me about something.”

Isak nodded but still felt he was lying. It wasn’t any of his business, though, so he had no place to be curious. 

They continued, moving onto the fourth act when Even let his head fall on the desk, making Isak laugh. 

“Had enough for today?” Isak chuckled. 

Even lifted his head and smiled. “Yes.”

“Heh, okay.”

They started packing up their stuff, shoving textbooks and papers into their bags. 

“Same time Tuesday?” Isak asked, holding a stack of papers and books in his hands. 

“Yeah,” Isak nodded and turned in the opposite direction when he heard Even’s conformation, but Even said, “Wait.”

Isak turned around, looking at Even, who had his bag slung over his shoulder. 

“There’s a game next Friday. Football game.” Isak nodded. “Yeah, well, I was just wondering if you wanted to come?”

Isak made a curious look. “Like, to come watch you?”

Even nodded. “Yeah.“ He shook his head. “Or no. Not me. My friend, he really likes you and he wanted to see if I’d put in a good word for him to you. Because he likes you.” 

Isak smiled and tilted his head to the side. “Why doesn’t he just me himself?”

“Well, he said it’s because he thinks you don’t like him. You’ve rejected him a couple times, I think.”

“Christoffer Schistad?” 

“Yeah.” 

Isak shook his head. “Tell him that no means no.”

Even nodded. “That’s what I tried to tell him.”

Isak laughed softly and looked down at the stack of books in his hands. 

“Do you want to walk out together?” Even gestured towards the exit of the library. 

“Oh, no, you go ahead, I have to put up some books first.” Isak smiled and held up the books. 

“Okay. See you later, Isak,” Even waved and walked out of the door. 

Isak turned into one of the aisles between the bookshelves and rested his head on it, groaning softly under his breath. 

— — — 

Even walked into the library the next Wednesday afternoon not really expecting anyone other than Isak and maybe some of his friends. 

The last person he expected was Chris, who was currently chatting with Isak. Isak, on the other hand, looked flustered, but not in a way that was supposed to be a flattered expression. It was panicky, and anyone could tell he wanted to escape the situation. 

“Hey, Chris?” Even walked up to the pair and he took note of the relief that washed over Isak’s face. “I didn’t know you needed tutoring.”

Chris looked up at him, puzzled. “I do. I’ve been struggling with my grades recently and-“

“Really?” Even interrupted. “You told me about your grades the other day. Said they were fine. Don’t understand why you would be here of all places.”

Chris chuckled softly, but there was an underlying emotion that Even tried to pick up. “You know, you’re right, Even. I don’t need to be here.” He picked up his bag from the floor. “I’ll be on my way.” 

He turned to wave at Isak, who didn’t reciprocate the motion. He hit Even’s shoulder with his own as he walked out. 

Even watched the door close behind him and then turned back to Isak. “Sorry about that,” Even apologized, sitting in the seat Chris was sitting in just moments before. 

“No, it’s fine, no need to apologize,” Isak waved a hand, “he’s been hitting on me since freshman year. I’m used to it.”

“You still shouldn’t have to put up with that. I mean, I’ve been friends with him for years, and he is a fucking jerk sometimes. He doesn’t really know where to stop. Once he sets his eyes on something, he doesn’t stop until he gets it. He’s annoying in that way.” 

Isak shrugged. “I’m used to it. And it’s not just him, it’s all of those kind of guys. I just...” he smiled up at Even, “tune it out.”

Even looked at him, but Isak just opened his textbook instead. He decided to drop the subject for now. 

They studied for a while, Even reading the scenes on his own at Isak’s wish while the latter made plot evaluation flashcards for Even. 

Isak was taking a break with his own work when Even’s phone buzzed, similar to last week. 

_chris: way to fucking go_

_chris: i knew you weren’t going to put in a word for me_

_chris: you want him for yourself don’t you?_

_chris: i saw the way you looked at him_

_chris: i was doing a good job until you blew it_

_even: are you hearing yourself right now?_

_even: he was uncomfortable with you around_

_even: it was anything but a good job_

_even: you were closing in on him and he couldn’t do anything about it_

_even: he was helpless and you took advantage of it_

_chris: calm down_

_chris: go back to your twink_

_even: he’s not a fucking twink_

“Even?” 

Even looked up from his screen to see Isak looking at him, confused. “Your face is a little red.”

“Oh,” Even shut his phone off and placed it on the table. “Sorry about that. What were you saying?”

“I wasn’t saying anything. I just looked over and you looked angry,” Isak glanced at Even’s turned over phone, “Is something wrong?”

“No, everything’s fine.”

Isak didn’t look convinced. “Your mom again?”

“Yeah,” Even lifted his phone a bit to see if there were any new messages, but there was no new notifications on his lock screen. 

Isak hummed. They didn’t go back to the subject for the rest of the afternoon, and they mainly stayed in silence, now that Even was almost done with the final act. 

By the end of the session, he had completed the entire playwright, and Isak was speaking as he packed up. 

“So, tomorrow it’ll just be review to see what you can remember. If you need extra work with the material then you can come in on Friday, but if not, tomorrow will be your last session with me.” Isak smiled and handed Even a stack of index cards. “The necessary information is on those notecards, just practice tonight and I think you’ll be good to go.”

“Okay.” Even took the cards. “Thank you. For everything.”

“No problem,” Isak shrugged. 

Even nodded and stood, Isak copying his movements. 

“Oh,” Even said, remembering something. He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out a fifty dollar bill. “For you. As a thank you.”

Isak stared down at the money with a blank expression. “I don’t need that. I was just happy to help.”

“No, I insist,” Even put his hand out further for Isak to grab the dollar bill, but he didn’t move. “You had to put up with me for more than a week. This isn’t even enough to pay for that kind of damage.”

Even chuckled and Isak smiled. “I don’t need it. And you weren’t that hard to handle,” Isak bit his lip before he spoke again, “I actually enjoyed the time we spent together.”

Even was taken aback. “Really?”

“Yeah. I don’t get to hang out with many cool people other than the girls, and don’t get me wrong, they’re great, but if I’m being honest, I looked forward to our little sessions. Even if they were only a couple hours.” Isak blushed after he finished talking. “I overshared a bit, didn’t I?”

Even grinned. “No, I enjoyed it to. I just thought you’d want something in return.”

Isak shook his head. “I don’t need the money. It was my pleasure,” he smiled, “...but there is something I sort of had had in mind for a while.”

Even quirked an eyebrow. “Really? What is it?”

Isak stepped closer but avoided looking straight into Even’s gaze. Even’s heart skipped a beat when he noticed Isak start to lean in, although he did it slowly. His eyes were closed and he waited for Isak’s lips to press against his own, but the time never came when they both heard someone clear their throat, the pair practically jumping away from each other. 

Noora and Sana stood, staring at the two boys, Noora’s eyebrows raised and Sana unamused. 

“Isak,” Sana said calmly, although there was a certain edge to her voice, “are you coming with us?” She glanced at Even only for a few seconds. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m right behind you.” He nodded grabbed his bag from his chair. The girls walked out

“Bye, Even,” Isak said, walking past Even to follow the girls, his shoulder brushing against Even’s. 

Even smiled at the sudden, very poorly hushed whispers being passed between the trio once Isak caught up with them. 

— — — 

“You two are acting childish,” Eva stated, rolling her eyes. 

“I’m not the child here,” Even scoffed at Chris’ words, but he continued, “Even is the one who’s being an ass.”

“You call me an ass and say you’re not the childish one? I said what I said and I meant it. He didn’t want you to be there and it was very obvious, yet you still persisted,” Even spat. 

“What the hell, Chris? You didn’t tell me that!” Eva said, looking at Chris with her eyebrows furrowed. 

“It didn’t look like that when I was there! I thought he was just laughing at my jokes, not nervous laughing. It won’t happen again, I swear, Even, I would never do that to your boyfriend.”

Even slammed his hands on the table, straightening his back from his once slumped position. “He’s not-“ 

He noticed the tables around him staring in the direction the noise came from, which was Even himself. He looked back at Chris, lowered his voice and said, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

“Oh, please,” Chris rolled his eyes, “there has got to be something between you two.”

“There isn’t!” Even defended himself. 

“If you don’t like him, he definitely likes you. It’s very obvious, Even, you’re just oblivious,” Chris leaned back in his chair. 

Even didn’t respond and no one else spoke, either. 

He has been noticing a shift in the way he has looked at Isak; instead of just admiring his exterior, the pink sweaters and those gorgeous green eyes, he has noticed other things, too, like Isak’s sarcastic humor and the way he blushes when Even’s knee brushes against his own under the table, and how he pulls away when they get too close. The way he pushes his glasses up the ridge of his nose, the way he tucks a strand of loose hair behind his ear, the way he picks at a loose thread in his sweater when he’s confused or nervous. The way his facial expressions change as he reads on, the way he looks at Even when he thinks Even doesn’t notice, the way there’s always a pink tint on his cheeks. So, yeah, maybe Even liked him a little, even though he’s only ever liked one guy before Isak. Not quite like this, though. Nothing he felt for the other guy even compared to the way Even’s heart races when Isak in his proximity, or even how a mere glance his way gets Even all giddy and elated. 

Even cleared his throat. “Okay, so what if I like him a little? Would that be so bad?”

Chris and Eva stared at him, their expressions a bit different. Eva looked more surprised than anything, while Chris just looked confused. They didn’t know about the other guy, just a lot of girls. 

“Oh,” was all Chris said. 

A silence was followed by Eva saying, “Well, look at us. Just a bunch of bisexuals.”

“Actually, I think I might be pansexual.”

— — — 

“What does Friar Lawrence’s monologue when he’s first introduced symbolize and nods toward?”

“It symbolizes that like herbs, human’s actions can bring both poison to hurt and medicine to heal; Romeo and Juliet’s deaths were poison to them, obviously, since Romeo died from poison, but the medicine of their death healed the family feud.”

“Good! Name three ways Shakespeare used foreshadowing.”

“Um, the prologue, Romeo’s hesitation to go to the Capulet ball, and... I don’t know the last one.”

Isak flipped the card around, looking for the third answer. He blushed and chuckled softly, saying, “Oh. I didn’t write down another one. But if I were you, I’d look over the earlier acts before tomorrow’s test to see if there are any more examples, just in case.” 

“Yeah, well, if I were you, I wouldn’t be here, so,” Even shrugged. 

Isak checked his watch that read 17:24. He told Even the time and they both started packing up, talking about a few questions Even struggled with during their review. 

They didn’t talk about what happened yesterday, and Even was almost convinced he had daydreamed the whole thing during class, but when he saw the subtle tint of red on Isak’s cheeks when he walked into the library that day, he knew it wasn’t his imagination. He had hoped that maybe they could actually get to the good part today, but Isak was too encompassed with his mini-lesson to focus on anything else. 

“Other than that, I think you’re good.” Isak grinned up at Even, slinging his bag over his shoulder. 

Even nodded even though he wasn’t really listening. He understood most stuff by now, but as long as he got something above a D, he was fine with any result. 

He had appreciated Isak’s intense dedication to Even’s seemingly lost cause. He sometimes felt bad, though, when Isak paid attention to him for the most part. There were times in the past weeks when desperate freshmen would come in, and Even had offered to give up his seat so they could study with Isak, but Isak frantically dismissed them to Noora or Sana and told Even to sit back down. Even obeyed, of course, he really needed the help, but he felt that maybe there was something else motivating Isak to keep connection to Even, other than his tutoring and helpful nature. Even tabled this idea, so it wouldn’t distract him, but now that their sessions were over, the possibility was pushed back into the front of his mind, absorbing his thoughts and making him overanalyze every action Isak made. 

Noora and Sana walked out of the separate room, chatting, similar to yesterday, when they called over to Isak. “Coming? We thought we could go to Sana’s to study,” Noora said. 

“I’ll be out in a second,” he called back over, and with one suspicious glance, Noora shrugged and walked out with Sana. 

“So,” Isak started, once the girls left, “about the other day.”

Even’s stomach coiled at the mention of it. “What about it?”

“I just wanted to say that, if your offer still stands, I’d love to go.” 

Even nodded, but then made a confused face when he realized Isak wasn’t talking about yesterday. “Huh?”

“The game? You asked if I wanted to go?” Isak said. 

“You want to go with Chris?” Even hid his disappointment the best he could, “That’s... great! I’ll text him now, he’s going to be so happy-“

“No, Even,” Isak laughed, “I meant, like, with you. To go watch you. Not Chris.”

Even made an ‘oh’ sound. Then, when he realized exactly what Isak was saying, he blushed. “Like, on a date? Because that’s usually what happens when you go to watch someone. A date.”

“Yeah, Even, I’d like to go on a date with you.” 

Even nodded, trying to keep a chill persona, but his heart was racing uncontrollably. “Cool. That’s, um, great, actually.”

Isak nodded and looked around awkwardly. “So... are you going to give me your number or...?”

“Oh, right,” Even laughed and pulled out his phone, handing it to Isak for him to put in his number. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Isak said after they exchanged numbers. 

“Yeah. I’ll text you the details before,” Even said. Isak nodded and smiled. 

“Okay. Goodbye, Even,” Isak walked out, and it was almost like he expected Even to watch him as he left, because he turned back to wave at Even. He waved back and Isak was gone out of the door. 

Even felt his face redden at the thought of going on a date with Isak. The smile he had didn’t leave his face until he got home. 

— — —

_isak: hey, is it okay if noora tags along? sorry if that ruins things, she’s usually the one who suggests going to games so when she heard about you inviting me, she wanted to come. she promised she would keep her distance but i’m not so sure haha. is that okay?_

Even read the message as he sat down, putting his bag in the empty seat next to him. 

He did mind, just a little though, but he had a couple run-ins with Noora before—when he came in a little too early before their sessions and Noora was just setting up, they’d talk until Isak arrived. She was sweet, and he was sure she had no more-vicious intent than just hanging out with her friend. 

_even: that’s fine. she’s not your girlfriend though, is she? kinda ruins the whole point of tonight if she is_

_isak: lmao even she’s a lesbian, and i’m gay_

_isak: i’m pretty sure she wants to go to the game just to maybe hookup with your cheerleader friend_

Even hummed out load like Isak was right there talking to him. 

_even: oh i didn’t know that. tell her eva is taken though_

_isak: she’ll be devastated, but i guess i’ll tell her_

_isak: but i can’t wait for tonight :)_

_even: me neither. i’ll talk to you later?_

_isak: yeah, good luck on your test_

_even: thank you isak_

_isak: np, you’re going to do great_

Even smiled at the text. He almost didn’t even realize the two pairs of eyes staring at him expectantly. 

“Well?” Chris said, making Even look up from his phone. “Who was that?”

“No one.” Even closed his phone and set it down on the table. He looked back up at Chris and Eva, who were clearly not convinced. “What?”

“Does Even Bech Næsheim have other friends?” Eva gasped dramatically. Even rolled his eyes. 

“No, I mean I do have other friends, but it wasn’t that,” he cleared his throat. “It was Isak. I’m taking him to the game tonight.”

He looked up to observe Chris’ reaction, which was not what he expected. He expected to see him confused and somewhat angry, but he didn’t see that. He instead saw Chris lean back in his chair and throw his hands up in the air, almost exasperated. 

“Seriously? So I’m the only one not in a relationship right now?” 

Chris looked at Eva, who did not respond with a snarky comment, but instead said, “Actually, that makes two of us, Chris.”

The boys looked at her in confusion and she shrugged. “What? Did I not tell you?”

“Tell us what?”

“Me and Jonas broke up.” When she noticed their reactions, she said, “I could’ve swore I told you guys.”

“Are you okay?” Chris asked. 

She nodded her head side to side and said, “I don’t know. It was coming, I just didn’t really know when. I was more surprised at the timing than the breakup itself.”

They stared at her like they were scared to say anything, which they were. They had expected it sooner, honestly, but they didn’t want to say anything that would offend Eva. 

Eva took in the mood and laughed, saying, “But I could desperately go for a hookup right about now.” When Chris opened his mouth to say something, she said, “And no, not from you, Chris.”

Even perked up at the mention of a hookup. “A hookup?”

“Yeah. I was thinking probably at the party after the game but I’m not sure yet. Why?”

Even smiled. “I think I know someone.”

— — — 

To be honest, Isak knew near to nothing about football. Or sports in general. 

When he was still in the closet growing up, his father tried to push sports into him, and in his teens, he tried to get into it on his own, but he couldn’t force himself to sit down and watch it. 

He knew the basics, like how a touchdown is worth six points—or was it seven? But other than that, he was hopeless. So, of course his super hot date was a football player. 

Isak sat in the stands next to Noora and tried to search for Even the entire time. Pretty soon, he found him; he was the skinniest and tallest guy there, Isak wondered why it took so long to spot him. 

He had noticed Noora eyeing the cheerleaders all night, but when he asked, she just tried to change the subject to Even. He smiled at his friend’s embarrassment, the red cheeks and the flustered expression were a dead giveaway. 

After the game, Even and his team celebrated in victory. They won handsomely, almost by double the other team’s points. It was a lost cause from the start, even Isak could tell that. 

Noora left his side after she excused herself to the concession stand, but when he looked to see where she was going, she was heading in the opposite direction of the concession stand, and instead going towards the cheerleaders. 

He looked around for Even through the bustling crowd, all heading to the after game party. Isak wasn’t sure if he wanted to go just yet, parties weren’t really his thing. Not that he’s been to many, but he doubts he would rather be around sweaty, drunk teenagers than be alone with Even. 

He walked backwards into someone, and almost apologized until he saw Even’s wide grin looking down at him. Isak smiled and noticed Even was in normal clothes. 

“You like the game?” Even nodded towards the stadium. 

“Yeah, of course,” Isak stared directly into Even’s eyes, matching his expression. “I liked seeing you in your natural habitat. Much better than seeing you cramped up in a library for about a week.”

“Hey, I wasn’t cramped. And I liked being there, with you. It was nice.”

“It was nice for me, too. Seeing your cute face almost everyday really made my week,” Isak blushed when he replayed what he just said in his mind. 

“Aww, you think I’m cute?” Even teased Isak, who just rolled his eyes and looked to the side. “I was going for hot, but I’ll take cute. Cute is good.”

“Cute is really good.” 

They both laughed and Even reached for Isak’s hand, but before they made physical contact, Even’s name was called by some of guys. 

“Even! We’re heading to Chris’, you coming?” One of the guys shouted. 

Isak and Even looked at each other. Isak smiled and nodded towards his friends, silently telling him that it was okay to tag along. 

“Actually, I was just going to hang out with Isak,” Even yelled back, pointing at the smaller boy. Isak stared up at him the entire time. 

“It’s fine, Even, go with your friends. I’ll just go home,” Isak said, patting Even on the shoulder.

“They were my ride, though, so I can’t take you home.”

“Oh,” Isak said.

“I can ask them if we can take you home first, if that’s what you really want?” Even suggested. 

“Yeah, that’s fine, if it’s not too much trouble,” Isak shrugged and nodded. 

“Of course not.”

— — — 

The car was cramped already from the amount of people, and adding two more people probably wasn’t the best idea. 

Isak and Even sat in the back of the car, Isak pressed against the door and Even right beside him. Chris was also in the car, so Even thought it would be best if he sat in between him and Isak. 

The people in the front were singing along to the music on the radio, some 90s hip hop that Isak knew faintly. He hummed along quietly, and only Even noticed. 

Even had been nervous ever since he got in the car and realized he would be so close to Isak for a good twenty minutes, and he would be lying if he said he regretted doing this. He was sure both he and Isak would’ve been better off walking instead, but a small part of Even enjoyed being this close to Isak. It’s something he’s wanted for a while now, so it was a nice feeling that satisfied him on a different level. 

Even suddenly felt Isak’s hand, which was previously on his knee, move closer to his lap, and Even was about to combust if Isak was doing the thing he thought he was doing. Isak instead tried his best to be discreet and grabbed Even’s hand, lacing his fingers with Even’s. He smiled and looked over at Isak who was still looking out of the window. Even smiled and squeezed Isak’s hand, feeling like he was radiating joy just from this boy’s touch. 

They pulled up in front of Isak’s house and pulled their hands away, much to Even’s dismay. They got out of the car and they walked side by side to Isak’s front door. 

“Sorry our first date wasn’t ideal,” Even was the first to speak. 

“It’s fine, I had fun,” Isak smiled up at him and stopped in front of his door. 

Even hummed. “Next time I promise I’ll take you out on a proper date.”

“Next time?” Isak asked curiously. “There’s going to be a next time?”

“Yeah, of course,” Even took Isak’s smaller hands into his own. “I really like you. I’d like to take you out on another date.” 

“I’d like that a lot,” Isak smiled up at his date. 

Even lifted his hand and placed it on the side of his face, rubbing his thumb across Isak’s cheek. “You’re so beautiful.”

Isak smiled wider. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Even glanced down at Isak’s lips, and noticed how inviting they were. He’s looked at his mouth dozens of times before, but this time it was different. His entire face was almost glowing under the dim light from the source coming from inside the house, shining through the window on the door. 

“Can I kiss you?” Even whispered, afraid that if he spoke any louder this moment—a moment that felt more like a dream—would be ruined and he would wake up. 

Isak nodded and Even didn’t waste any time. He leaned in and kissed him, feeling Isak’s cupid bow lips press against his mouth. Isak wrapped his arms around Even’s neck and he grabbed Isak by his small waist. 

Even pulled away and rested his forehead against Isak’s. They had matching expressions, both smiling and Even felt like this was the peak of tonight. 

They kissed again, but it was cut short by the flirtatious whistles coming from the car still parked in front of the house. They both blushed and Isak put his hands on Even’s chest. 

“Goodnight, Isak,” Even leaned in for another kiss, but the way Isak tilted his head made it harder, and Even ended up bumping his nose against the frame of Isak’s glasses. They laughed and Even opted to kiss him on the cheek, hug him, and then walk down the driveway. 

Isak waved even though Even was already turned away. He pulled out his house key in his pocket and unlocked the door. 

When he entered his house, he pressed his back against the closed door and could not stop smiling.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed this, i really liked writing it 🥰 constructive criticism is appreciated, anyways bye :)


End file.
